The Corporation of Chennai has been very active in the restoration of city parks in recent years. Quite a few derelict ones, such as the Viswesvarayya Park in Anna Nagar and Natesan Park in T’Nagar, have been given excellent facelifts and are today a sight for sore eyes.

Two major greening projects ­currently going on are the Adyar Poonga near the creek and the Botanical Gardens on Cathedral Road, in which the Government is more involved than the Corporation. The riverside parks along the Adyar and the Cooum are also being worked on in a phased manner. But in recent times, faced with continued ­pressure for roadspace and the demand for transport corridors, the Government has also shown that it can ride roughshod over greenery.

According to a recent announcement, three parks, May Day Park in Chintadripet, Nehru Park on Poonamallee High Road, and Thiru Vi Ka Park, will be closed for three years. These will be handed over to the Metro Rail authorities to facilitate work on the underground rail network. These parks fall in the alignment of the two corridors of Metro Rail, one connecting Washermanpet and the airport via Anna Salai, and the other connecting Chennai Central and St Thomas’ Mount via EVR Periyar Salai. Rather ironically, the Chennai Corporation had only in the last year spent over Rs. 1.6 crore in the renovation of the Thiru Vi Ka Park. It is money that has literally gone down the tube.

Of the three parks, May Day Park is likely to be the worst sufferer as not only the park but several adjoining spaces, such as playgrounds, are also to be taken over for the Metro rail development. The authorities have promised returning the parks to pristine state once the tunnelling activity is over but, then, three years is a long time in such construction projects and much can change. It should not be forgotten that when work began on the new Assembly building, neighbouring buildings, such as Kalaivanar Arangam, were initially to remain untouched but later fell to the wreckers’ hammers. There was talk of building a new auditorium, but nothing much has happened on that front since. Will the three parks meet the same fate?

On the positive side, we are seeing work progressing rapidly at the Adyar Poonga and the Botanical Gardens. Both however appear fated to remain behind high and forbidding walls. This is in sharp contrast to most other parks in the city which have railings, thereby allowing for their lush interiors to be seen from outside. In fact, most parks overseas have no fencing of any sort – and that’s what makes them so attractive to passers-by. Madras Musings hopes that open access or, at the least, railing will be followed in these two projects, instead of walling them in.

Of a much more disturbing nature is the news that three acres of Guindy National Park are to be handed over for building a hospital. The Government would do well to think seriously of the implications of such a construction in the midst of a natural preserve. Hospitals do not only mean an increased presence of people but they also bring in hazards such as medical and other wastes which can easily make their way into the rest of the forest. This can spell disaster for natural life in what has all along been an important lung for the city.

There are plenty of other areas in Chennai where hospitals can come up. Why is it that this prime forest land is being targeted for this proposal? It is high time we decided that what has remained untouched for so many years continues to be undisturbed in perpetuity.